Erasmus+ Adult Education Action Propelling Development of Digital and Green Skills by Rural Entrepreneurs—Reflections from the Case of re:GREEN
Erasmus+ Adult Education Action Propelling Development of Digital and Green Skills by Rural Entrepreneurs—Reflections from the Case of re:GREEN
SwIdeas AB, Tomorrow Together e.V., and Lithuanian Social Business Association (LiSVA) deliver the re:GREEN Training Programme!
Learning opportunities are a composite part of multiple transitions going on in the EU and Europe at large: Digital Transition, Green Transition, Sustainability Transition and others. Accordingly, Rural Entrepreneurs (RE) are adult lifelong learners with greater needs and fewer opportunities (Fernandes & Kerneis, 2020). They are the target group under the Erasmus+ KA220 adult education Green and Digital Skills for Rural Entrepreneurs (re:GREEN) project (November 2022 - May 2024), which is co-funded by the Erasmus+ program.
Lifelong learning is crucial for REs and is achievable through accessible and targeted educational programs to support entrepreneurs (Fernandes & Kerneis, 2020; Hägg & Kurczewska, 2021). REs face unique challenges in learning processes due to the sectors where REs operate their businesses, as well as challenges and opportunities of their geographic location, as Römer-Paakkanen and Suonpää (2023) indicate in their analysis of RE needs. Circular Economy, Sustainable and Digital Skills are essential (Diepolder et al., 2021; Ņikitina et al., 2020; Seikkula-Leino et al., 2021). Entrepreneurial education programs should equip learners with the knowledge and tools to navigate the Green Transition and leverage digital technologies. Experience-based learning is valuable, as Nada and Legutko (2022) suggest: practical, hands-on learning experiences can be highly impactful for adult learners. Entrepreneurship programs that incorporate "learning by doing" approaches might be more effective than purely theoretical instruction. Finally, EU policies, like EntreComp, and national entrepreneurial learning support policies and programs can play a role in promoting the development of essential competencies for entrepreneurs (Seikkula-Leino et al., 2021).
The re:GREEN is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. It aims to support prospective and current entrepreneurs in rural areas in strengthening their businesses and business ideas by transferring knowledge related to circular and resource-efficient business models and digitalization. The consortium includes partners in Sweden (SwIdeas), Lithuania (Lietuvos socialinio verslo asociacija), and Germany (Tomorrow Together TT e.V.). More information available through the EPALE platform publications and the project page:
re:GREEN kick-off announcement EPALE news article;
re:GREEN progress update is available in this EPALE Blog Post.
Further details on re:GREEN may be found on the project page.
In this article, we demonstrate how we "shifted the needle" in the adult education scene through the re:GREEN project. First, we show how we considered the needs of the target-group and the current situation within the adult education and lifelong learning fields. Second, we show how we zeroed in on the competences and skills essential for REs operating throughout the Green, Digital and Sustainability Transitions taking place in the EU (Diepolder et al., 2021; Hägg & Kurczewska, 2021). Third, in an attempt to further the project's impact we end our overview with a collection of useful links.
The Learners’ Needs address throughout the re:GREEN Project
The re:GREEN project’s impact onto the adult education and lifelong learning scene materialised through addressing the needs of learners who are, due to their geographic location, experiencing fewer opportunities to develop green and digital skills.
The needs of REs as far as green skills are concerned were addressed through the integration of information and knowledge on Circular Economy practices and their integration into the rural entrepreneurial business venture strategy and business models.
The needs of REs as to the digital skills were addressed throughout the project activities directed at the learners under the “learning by doing” approach. Namely, the REs were introduced to many various digital tools and asked to use them to accomplish tasks throughout modules. Moreover, the substantive focus on Digital Sustainable Marketing in the Block 3 of the training programme provides learners with an opportunity to practise and then apply digital communication tools in their rural entrepreneurial ventures.
The re:GREEN Training Package Development
The educators trained at the re:GREEN Train the Trainer activity in Bonn, Germany, or other educators trained by them afterwards, facilitated the learning. More than 15 hours of training was delivered in total across the three countries. If you are interested in using the re:GREEN Training Programme to structure your own coaching or training, we recommend that you check out the interim products and results of the re:GREEN project: (i) Needs analysis was conducted through a survey, business case compilation and focus groups across the three countries. This constituted the preparation phase results which have been summed up in an extensive first activity (A1) report (in English) available through this link 🔗; (ii) Training package is organised into three blocks composed of two modules each. This was refurbished based on the feedback collected after testing the material with 73 people in the three countries. The learners aided us in our effort to improve the re:GREEN Training Program and its materials (in English) available through this link🔗.
The testing phase was planned to be implemented virtually and consisted of delivering the developed modules to the participants. The material was further tested using digital methods while meeting the learners in person in Sweden. The REs were extremely active in completing the respective modules, as well as reflecting, questioning, discussing and debating relevant CE and Green or Sustainability Transition issues. Finally, all partners conducted evaluation of the testing phase training: both participants and trainers submitted feedback through online forms. To further collect suggestions for adjusting and improving the training modules, open ended questions were asked at the end of the training sessions or participants engaged in roundtables for feedback presentation.
The Finalization of the re:GREEN Training Programme
Overall, the re:GREEN training material has been well received by trainers and especially by the participants. The digital and non-formal methodology was highly appreciated, and participants agreed that the hands-on approach improved their overall experience. While digital skills are an important component of the re:GREEN training program value proposition, the analytical and critical thinking skills came up as a relevant set of abilities for developing and implementing rural entrepreneurial business strategy. Furthermore, although the digital aspect allowed for a wider reach of the training to rural areas, participants noted that the value of in-person activities should not be underestimated, as it facilitates connections among the participants and trainers.
The participants overwhelmingly indicated that their expectations were met. The non-formal approach was the aspect that was most appreciated by participants, who mostly agreed that opportunities to exercise what was learned and brainstorm led to improved knowledge gaining. The REs indicated they believed that they took away important knowledge from the training. They were also happy with the trainers and the training presentation formats used by partners. Therefore, the methodology, structure, and content of the training have been well-received and appreciated by learners. The digital tools and platforms used were relevant for the participants, and the knowledge regarding the circular economy was useful.
Finally, re:GREEN project modules are complete when learners are provided with all six modules where they can relate each module to another. Therefore, we invite you to check out the complete “re:GREEN Training Package”: the links to its contents and materials are provided at the end of this article.
The Dissemination of the re:GREEN Training Package
Open House Events (OHE) were held in three partner countries: Germany, Lithuania & Sweden. Additional dissemination activities will take place beyond the final closing date of the project in May 2024. The OHE Lithuania had 16 participants and was organised in partnership with the Lithuanian National Food Cluster and SME Council of Lithuania in order to disseminate the information about the re:GREEN Training Programme to a wider pertinent sectoral and multi sector stakeholders.
Though the New Business Models 2024 Conference will take place in July 2024, the acceptance of the Extended Abstract, in March 2024, is a notable achievement. The re:GREEN project results will be presented to the academia and practitioner (business consultant, entrepreneur, local business support organisations etc.) communities. Further, the virtual tour of a community café video (in Lithuanian with subtitles in English) was produced and made available to the public through an open YouTube channel @lietuvossocialinioversloas7305. This video constitutes both the learning and promotional material of the re:GREEN project.
The Impact of the re:GREEN Training Programme
Recognizing that REs are subject to different conditions, restrictions and challenges compared to their urban-based peers (LiSVA et al., 2023), we catered to those needs through tailored re:GREEN Training Programme. It is composed of 3 blocks, which are each composed of two modules and cover basic principles of business strategy, the circular economy, and sustainable digital marketing respectively. Block 1 was tested in Lithuania while block 3 was tested in Germany. In Sweden, block 2 was tested, as well as some parts of modules comprising blocks 1 and 3. Testing phase alone had demonstrable impact on participating REs. The total number of Testing Phase participants was 73 (28 in Lithuania, 19 in Germany, 26 in Sweden), 17 of which participated in the open house events conducted in Sweden.
The communication and dissemination efforts deployed by the project partners constantly and continuously during the development of the re:GREEN Training Programme were aimed at informing the general public, potential learners and ecosystem stakeholders, especially those concerned with skills development within the EU, of the process and the results of the project. Further details may be found on the project page.
Thus, the re:GREEN project has impacted the adult learning and lifelong learning scene by contributing a contemporary, dynamic and adaptable training programme which may be used by self-directed learners and those helped by adult educators alike. Rural Entrepreneurs as a group of persons with fewer opportunities to acquire or hone their skills for the Digital, Green and Sustainability Transitions, as well as advancement of Circular Economy.
If you'd like to access the complete re:GREEN Training Package, get in touch with one of the re:GREEN partners!
Lithuania: ieva.z@lisva.org - https://lisva.org/kontaktai/
Germany: t.yasmin@ttogether.org - http://ttogether.org/contact/
Sweden: julia.moreira@swideas.se - https://www.swideas.se/contact
List of References
Diepolder, C. S., Weitzel, H., & Huwer, J. (2021). Competence frameworks of sustainable entrepreneurship: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13(24), 13734.
Fernandes, S., & Kerneis, K. (2020). Towards an individual right to adult learning for all europeans. The foundation for European progressive studies (FEPS) & Institut Jacques Delors - Notre Europe.
Hägg, G., & Kurczewska, A. (2021). Entrepreneurship Education: Scholarly Progress and Future Challenges (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003194972
LiSVA, Together Tomorrow & SwIdeas (2023). Report on A1. Preliminary Preparation for the Training Content. Re:GREEN. Co-funded by Erasmus+ KA220.
Nada, C. I., & Legutko, J. (2022). “Maybe we did not learn that much academically, but we learn more from experience”–Erasmus mobility and its potential for transformative learning. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 87, 183-192.
Ņikitina, T., Lapiņa, I., Ozoliņš, M., Irbe, M. M., Priem, M., Smits, M., & Nemilentsev, M. (2020). Competences for strengthening entrepreneurial capabilities in Europe. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(3), 62.
Römer-Paakkanen, T., & Suonpää, M. (2023). Entrepreneurship Education with Purpose: Active Ageing for 50+ Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Development for Rural Areas. Education Sciences, 13(6), 572.
Seikkula-Leino, J., Salomaa, M., Jónsdóttir, S. R., McCallum, E., & Israel, H. (2021). EU policies driving entrepreneurial competences—Reflections from the case of EntreComp. Sustainability, 13(15), 8178.
